It is known that, in order to see a 3D image, each of a viewer's eyes must see a slightly different view of the same scene. To produce an image of different views, it generally requires taking two or more pictures at slightly different vantage points. The pictures taken at different vantage points or angles will provide the parallax necessary to create the three dimensional effect. It is possible to take two pictures at slightly different vantage points by using two imaging lenses in a camera, to form two separate images on two image sensors, or on different areas of a photograph film as shown in FIG. 1.
In a 3D still image, two or more pictures taken at different angles are processed into a composite image in which the pictures are printed or displayed in an interleaved fashion. A parallax separation device is then placed in front of the composite image to separate the different views and present them to a viewer's eyes. The parallax separation device can be a lenticular screen or a parallax barrier panel. A 3D video or movie can be presented in a similar fashion in that a series of composite images are displayed separately and sequentially. Alternately, a series of left and right views are presented alternately and sequentially, and a viewer is required to wear a pair of special glasses to see the different views. The glass lenses are open and closed in synchronicity with the image presentation. Currently, other 3D presentation techniques such as polarization separation and red/cyan anaglyphic lenses are also used.
When two or more imaging lenses are used to take pictures of a scene so that the images are used in making a 3D picture, for example, the lenses must be calibrated and adjusted so that the optical properties, such as magnification, focal point and spatial aberration of one of lenses are substantially identical to the optical properties of the other. It is advantageous to provide a different method and apparatus for producing a series of images from different views.